World peace is very important for the survival of mankind. That’s why spiritual leaders, humanitarians, and politicians have been championing for world peace. These people have proved that you can win the love and respect of others and achieve your goals without practicing violence. As Prem Rawat says, “peace lies within us all and that humanity’s essential desire is for peace.”
This article gives you a list of the top people who have changed the world by promoting peace. They include:
1. Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most honored nonviolent leaders in the world. He led the movement for India’s independence from Great Britain. His peaceful demonstrations have since become the framework for nonviolent civil disobedience across the world.
Mahatma Gandhi organized massive boycotts throughout India. For instance, he called on parents to stop taking their children to public schools, requested Indian public officials to stop working for the British government, requested citizens to stop paying taxes, etc. He also tried to promote peace between Muslims and Hindus.
2. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a famous nonviolent civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He organized peaceful demonstrations against racial segregation policies in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in peaceful protests. He helped drive the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington, where he delivered his famous speech, ‘I Have a Dream” speech.
His push for equality for African Americans led to the implementation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights of 1965. Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. His life was tragically cut short when he was assassinated in 1968.
3. Nelson Mandela
Mandela led series of peaceful protests against the segregation in South Africa in the 1940s. His vehement efforts landed him in prison for 27 years. After he was released from prison in 1990, he was a key voice for the end of apartheid in South Africa.
In 1993, three years after his release, Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1994, he was elected the first black president of South Africa. Mandela died in 2013 at the age of 95.
4. Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa dedicated her life to caring for the sick and poor. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Apart from caring for the sick and poor, she founded the Missionaries of Charity in India- a religious order of women who ran hospices and homes for anyone in distress, including the blind, terminally ill, homeless, AIDS patients, etc.
5. Dalai Lama
The Buddhist monk and spiritual leader of Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th and current Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for pushing for the liberation of Tibet. Dalai Lama and his followers were faced with strong opposition and threatened with the assassination that forced them to flee the country. They now live in northern India where they have established an alternative Tibetan government. Dalai Lama has stayed true to his message on nonviolent resistance, love and compassion for mankind, and humanitarian outreach.